Syrian Coalition Condemns Russia’s Use of Veto as it Calls for Action under Chapter VII

Press release

Syrian Coalition

Media Department

November 17, 2017

The Syrian Coalition strongly condemns Russia's use of its veto power to block the adoption of a draft resolution to renew the mandate for the UN-OPCW Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM).

For the tenth time, the allies of crimes, murder and tyranny show absolute commitment to supporting the Assad regime. In contrast, the allies of law, human rights and democracy continue with their failure to take action. Their behavior still reflects total incapability and helplessness towards Russia’s obstruction of efforts at the UN Security Council as they use Russia’s vetoes as an excuse to stand idly by and do nothing more than regretting Assad’s crimes without making any real effort to stop them.

The Syrian Coalition calls upon the United Nations to enforce Article 21 of the UN Security Council Resolution 2118 (2013) which threatened measures under Chapter VII of the UN Charter in the event of repeated use of chemical weapons in Syria. JIM’s latest report, which was handed over to the UN Security Council on October 26, 2017, confirmed that the Assad regime was responsible for the massacre of Khan Sheikoun which claimed the lives of more than 87 people in early April.

In light of the international community’s continued failure to maintain international peace and security over the last seven years, the Syrian Coalition objects to the right to use the veto power on the UN Security Council. Since the United Nations came to light, the veto power has never been used to protect peoples or to uphold what is right, but to protect the various forms of occupation, tyranny and criminality.